One thing I really want to see less of: Attempting to make magic a form of "science."  (Sorry, Mr. Butcher. That's the one thing I dislike about the Dresden-verse.)  Magic(k) isn't science. Magic is religion.

When magic is assumed as science, it also assumes that, like science, magic is dispassionate towards mythology, culture, and tradition.  In short, the urban fantasy axiom is "Magic is the same everywhere. Culture and tradition are just 'flavorings.' "  In the real world, that just isn't true.  Not all magic systems fit into the Egyptian/Golden Dawn/Wicca template.  (Disagree ?  Try plugging in the ancient Chinese, Babylonian, or tribal New Guinean magic systems into that template.)

It seems to me that all modern urban fantasy takes a magic-is-science approach because it is dispassionate and, as a result, won't offend anyone.  In short, magic has become politically correct.

If your character is a Catholic, give him a Catholic viewpoint and make his magic match it according to Catholic tradition; If your character is Wiccan, give him (or her) a Wiccan viewpoint and make his magic match it.

Sure, it takes a LOT of extra research.  But it makes magic less homogenous; As a result, you gain real-world verisimilitude and lose that "I cast a ninth-level fireball. Roll your saving throw" feel.

Have you seen their miniseries "The Lost Room?" That was one of my favorite miniseries ever. It had a good story, wasn't terribly corny, it was fairly well acted, and so forth. They could make a good solid series out of it if they weren't morons.

I loved The Lost Room.  It's available on DVD now.  As for being a series, I get the feeling that it was intended to be a series, couldn't get it sold, and finished it as a mini- to re-market it.

I'd seen all the promos on the Sci-Fi Channel;  So, I decided to take a chance on the series because Robert Hewitt Wolfe's name was attached to it.  He did great stuff with Andromeda before Kevin Sorbo was made an executive producer.  (Andromeda really stunk after the Wolfe-written episodes completed their run.)

Chit-chatting at the local comic store the week the episode aired, my friend Drew asked what I thought of TDF.  I replied that I thought the show had potential and planned on giving it a few more episodes to decide.  He didn't like it and said the books were better. (Although he still prefers the books, he's since changed his mind about the tv series.)

About a week later, while having coffee with other friends at a local Borders, I pointed out Storm Front to Baelmyrrdn after having mentioned it a couple days previously.  She read the first 50 pages

So, having a second opinion on the books, and having missed out on the references and in-jokes amongst friends because I skipped the "Harry Potter" series, I bought Storm Front and found that what Drew said was true: The books are better than the series. (And the series is good, so that's saying a lot.)

Since then, I've read the first five books, am taking a break to read The Red Church by Scott Nicholson, and the sixth book will be next.

That's how I encountered the books and the TV series.

So, with Battlestar Galactica, The Dresden Files, and now the stellar premiere of PainKiller Jane, the Sci-Fi Channel may actually redeem its reputation. . . .